


A Kiss Goodbye

by amekazakai



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4657677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amekazakai/pseuds/amekazakai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been almost two years since the end of the war against Voldemort, and just as long since George left you.<br/>You're more bitter about the lack of proper closure than anything.<br/>George x Reader.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Kiss Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> A George Weasley x Reader fic.
> 
> This is very loosely connected to Switch.

“Congratulations!”

A chorus of voices ring through the air and everybody’s throwing flower petals at the newlyweds and, probably for the first time since the war ended, people are really _smiling_.

It’s almost scary just how far back you have to go through your memories to try and find one where everybody’s as happy as they are now.

You suppose the last time had been Bill and Fleur’s wedding, and that seems to have been ages ago; they’ve already had their first child and Victoire’s now almost two.

You grimace as you realize that Bill and Fleur’s wedding perhaps wasn’t the best thing to think about when the person who had been your date for that occasion was the current groom.

You can feel others watching you and you turn slightly to meet the worried and slightly pitying gazes and Hermione and Ginny.

You paste on a reassuring smile and turn back just in the time to witness the newlyweds walking right past you.

You make eye contact with Angelina Johnson, now officially Angelina Weasley, and her grin is so full of happiness that you can’t help but give her a genuine smile back.

You don’t even try to look at the man next to her.

You’d probably cry if you did.

~*~*~*~*~

Ginny was the one to break the news to you and hand you an invitation.

Before then, you hadn’t even considered the possibility of George and Angelina dating, especially since she’d been something like a girlfriend to Fred.

The fact that George and Angelina could be using each other as proxies in the stead of Fred didn’t escape your attention, and when you cautiously brought it up to Ginny, she didn’t refute it.

“Look,” she sighed. “Hermione and I’ve considered it ever since they got together, and it’s probably true, and it’s not healthy. But they also look genuinely happy together, and after… well, _everything_ … who are we to destroy anything that might make him happier?”

You couldn’t disagree.

Instead, you asked her when they had gotten together.

Ginny was silent before quietly answering, “About a year ago.”

You could only nod.

It had been exactly one year since you and George had broken up.

~*~*~*~*~

Sometimes, you couldn’t help but wonder if Angelina truly understood that George wasn’t Fred, that they were two completely different people and so he was completely useless as a replacement for Fred.

~*~*~*~*~

Other times, you felt guilty for even doubting her because you liked Angelina, you really did, and you wished her all happiness in the world.

~*~*~*~*~

The first time you saw them together, you couldn’t help but think that all that happiness was supposed to be yours.

~*~*~*~*~

After that first meeting, you kept relatively calm and rational by operating under the assumption that it was Angelina who had asked George out.

That it was Angelina who was dependent on George and forcing him to continue such an unhealthy relationship out of guilt and sympathy.

Of course, thinking such things meant that you were thinking horrid things about Angelina, but you at least couldn’t hate her because you were too busy pitying her.

Ron ruined that belief a few months before the wedding when he offhandedly mentioned just how much of a nervous wreck George had been the day before he’d asked Angelina out.

It didn’t make you feel any better, but you still appreciated the paperweight Hermione threw at Ron’s head.

~*~*~*~*~

You knew they tried not to mind it or talk about it whenever you were around but you still knew that everybody who didn’t have an emotional range of a teaspoon was uncomfortable talking about George and Angelina around you.

After all, you were the “ex”.

The one who had been so close with George that everybody had assumed the two of you would end up together.

The one George had left because of the war and he couldn’t cope with drowning in his thoughts and hated feeling like he was forcing you down with him.

The one everybody had assumed George would get back together with when he felt better.

The one he had left behind.

~*~*~*~*~

They expected you to hold some kind of grudge, you supposed, and it really would be very easy to.

You had spent a year waiting for a man who apparently hadn’t given a second thought about you after locking you out of his life, and if you were honest, a part of you did want to hate him for that.

But you’d always been too sympathetic and understanding for your own good and you knew that you’d end up forgiving him so you didn’t bother even trying to hate him.

You didn’t bother trying to explain yourself to the others, however.

You figured it’d just be easier to let them assume whatever they wanted.

~*~*~*~*~

Looking back on it now, you probably should have made the effort to explain that while, yes, you were hurt, no, you didn’t hate George.

It probably would have saved you the utter mortification and discomfort of having Angelina show up at your doorstep one day and ask you if you’d be one of her bridesmaids.

You could only stare at her in surprise and disbelief for a few seconds before taking a slow sip of your tea as you tried to think of a response.

As you looked at the fierce stubbornness and determination in her eyes, you suddenly realized what the request actually was: a peace offering.

It made you remember just how strong and kind Angelina truly was and that there was a reason why you had considered her to be such a good and reliable friend back at Hogwarts.

With these thoughts in mind, you shook your head and gave her a small smile as you politely turned down her request and assured her that it wasn’t anything personal but surely there were other girls she was closer to and more suited for the role?

When she left a few minutes later, you hugged her goodbye and told her, “Congratulations.”

~*~*~*~*~

Of course, because you’d told Angelina that it was nothing personal, George assumed that it had everything to do with your personal feelings and so took it upon himself to confront you about a week later.

You almost hadn’t realized just how much you’d missed him until you opened your front door to find him standing there, your eyes meeting for the first time in almost a year and a half.

For a minute, you just stood there, speechless, unable to think about doing anything else.

Then as George cleared his throat, you snapped out of it and had a clear look at his eyes.

You almost flinched when you saw steely determination in his eyes and sighed at what you knew would be a long and awkward talk about feelings.

You mustered as much inner patience as you could and stepped back from the doorway to let him in.

~*~*~*~*~

You’re still not convinced that he truly accepted and understood the fact that you honestly weren’t angry or bitter about any of it, not anymore.

Then again, George had always been excellent at reading you so maybe he could see that you really were still suffering inside.

He had just gazed at you for a long time before flinching slightly and asking, “I just made it worse by coming here, didn’t I?”

You hadn’t responded and he had just sighed and stood up to leave.

Not that you wanted him to, but it wasn’t like you wanted to stop him either.

Before he stepped out the door, he kissed your forehead and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

And then he was gone and you couldn’t help the sudden rush of tears that you furiously tried to wipe away.

An apology had been the last thing you wanted from him because what was he really apologizing for?

~*~*~*~*~

You’re broken out of your musings when a very tipsy Charlie slides into the chair across the table from you and flashes at you what he probably thinks is a charming smile.

You can’t help but laugh at him as he gestures towards the reception that’s in full swing.

“Don’t just sit here, join us!”

You just shake your head with an amused smile, still not quite in the mood to dance.

Charlie pouts slightly before standing and grabbing your hand, pulling you to the dance floor.

“Come on, someone as pretty as you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

He gives you a wink and you just chuckle.

“Merlin, you’re so _drunk_. What’ve you been drinking?”

“Just some pumpkin juice but I think it’s been spiked.”

“Gee, I wonder who did _that_?”

Charlie winks at you again and spins you around and you catch a glimpse of Angelina and George whispering to each other and something in your chest hurts but you ignore it and soon you’ve almost completely relaxed when-

“Can I cut in?”

You turn to see George standing there, eyes on you as Charlie passes him your hand and pats him on the back.

Charlie murmurs, “Be nice” and then disappears into the crowd.

It occurs to you that Charlie might not be as drunk as you had thought.

George smiles at you and there’s something bittersweet in it and you can’t help but return that exact same smile as George begins to twirl you around.

The rest of the world seems to melt away around you and soon it once again feels like it’s just the two of you dancing together at the Yule Ball.

Neither of you says anything and, when the song changes to a slower one, you’re both surprised and not when he doesn’t let go.

If anything, he pulls you closer and guides your head to lean on his chest and you can’t help it.

You turn your head so no one else can see and you cry.

George doesn’t say anything but strokes your hair soothingly and lets you.

And when that song ends, you lift your now dry face and he strokes your slightly swollen eyes before giving you a lingering kiss on your forehead and stepping away.

He still hasn’t said anything as you watch him walk back to his new wife, but you’ve known him for so long that you know exactly what that kiss meant.

You’re almost grateful that this time, it wasn’t an apology, but rather a kiss goodbye.


End file.
